Chapter 3: The Hearing

Remilia's POV

It was out of the question. I couldn’t be seen with an ancient mythical weapon. I doubted it would help whatever case Eryndor brought before the Council. I was still contemplating my escape when approaching footsteps had me stiffening and moving away from the bars. Two guards conversed in low voices outside my cell and moments later, the same guard who had thrown me in appeared in front of the bars. I raised my head, shooting him a tear-streaked glare. 

He inserted a key into the lock and I shot up. “What’s happening?”, I demanded as the guards entered the cell and roughly pulled me to my feet. “Where are you taking me?”I let them pull me out of the cell with minimal resistance. 

“The Council had demanded your presence in the Alpha’s Hall”, one of them informed me gruffly.

“What”, NightSword pulsed in my mind. 

“What?”, I asked loudly, trying to dig in my heels now. The guards simply pulled me harder and my feet slid against the ground uselessly. “That’s not possible! The Council can’t fix a hearing so quickly!”

It had barely been three hours, by my estimations. 

“That’s not any of our business, Lady Remilia”, the other guard said. “We just follow orders.” “Lady?”, the first guard snorted as we left the dank gloom of the dungeon and began the short climb to the back of the pack house. “She ain’t no Lady anymore. She’s a traitor and she’s gon’ be banished!”

I said nothing, but doubted my punishment would be as light as mere banishment. Whatever else Eryndor had said against me, I’d still fought, injured, and almost killed him. That alone was grounds for execution. 

I tried not to let my fear show as the door to the Council chambers was pushed open. After all, if worse came to worse, I could simply summon the sword and attempt to kill Eryndor and make my escape. Easy. 

Quiet conversation came to an abrupt stop as I entered the room, dirty, bruised, and bloody. My cheek throbbed and my head pounded. The Council members sat facing each other at a round table broken strategically at the middle, where Eryndor’s seat was set, leaving the very center of the circle open to whoever happened to be petitioning them. In this case, it was me. 

My heart plummeted down into my stomach as my eyes fell on the Council members he’d rallied. He’d managed to get each and every one of the members that didn’t like me. Only one other person remained in their midst that was some semblance of a friendly face. The middle-aged woman smiled at me and I tried to return the gesture, only for it to turn into a pained wince. 

The guards bowed to the room before leaving and I was urged into the center of the circle with expectant looks and cleared throats. 

A wizened old man began to speak, reading from a sheet in front of him. 

“Remilia Silvermist, evidence against you states that you tried and failed to assassinate our Alpha, and therefore, are guilty of treason. Is this true?”

I breathed in deeply, already knowing how this would go. “No.”

“No?” the man raised a gray eyebrow. 

“No, sir”, I amended. 

“Are you saying your Alpha is lying?”

“Yes”, Remilia said confidently. It didn’t matter what she said. She knew her fate was sealed. “The alpha is lying.”

Gasps and murmurs rose amongst the members of the Council. The old man raised a hand, calling for order. 

“In this case, we must ask you to prove it, Remilia. Give your testimony.”

Remilia shook her head. “With all due respect, Council, I would prefer it if Eryndor repeated whatever testimony he has made against me. Here. In my presence.”

“Insolent child”, her questioner rebuked. “You would…”

“Please, Marcus”, Eryndor waved easily. He had gotten his wounds cleaned and bandaged and Remilia almost scoffed at the act. He could will himself to heal, but was deliberately parading her himself around wounded. “This woman thinks to deceive us all. I will oblige her and show her the true extent of her powerlessness.”

Marcus nodded sagely. “Very well.”

Eryndor stood, strolled to the center of the platform where she stood, and positioned himself beside her. 

“I was just coming out of the woods,” he announced, “when Remilia ambushed me. She took me by surprise, you see. I was not expecting that someone whom I love so much and shower with such attention and care would go so far as to be after my life. She had a weapon with her because she knew she couldn’t overpower me on her own. She used this knife to slash at me multiple times but when I finally got one hit at her, she screamed. That was what attracted the attention of the guards, wise Council. I immediately ordered that she be led to the dungeons while I sought you all out.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Even now, even seeing how badly she has hurt me, I can’t help but feel pity for her. Which is why I urged you all to hold the hearing today. I didn’t want her to suffer the indignities of the dungeon for longer than was absolutely necessary.”

Speech finished, Eryndor bowed to the Council and returned to his seat. I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. What a farce. 

Eryndor hadn’t mentioned NightSword, so I knew I had been right. Telling the Council I had attacked him with an ancient sword that had turned into a legend was surely going to discredit him so he’d skipped that part, even though he’d seen the weapon with his two eyes. It was so like him. 

“What do you have to say for yourself, Remilia?”, old man Marcus asked. 

“Everything Eryndor said was a lie”, I began. “I saw Eryndor pick up a suspicious sounding phone call and I followed him to the woods behind the pack house where he met with a man. From his scent, I could tell he was a rogue.”

Eyebrows raised at this, but I plowed on. 

“Eryndor then proceeded to pass the man some papers detailing where some of the pack’s most important resources were so that he could arrange with the other rogues, set up an ambush, and steal pack property.”

“Preposterous”, one of the Council members mumbled, glaring at me. Marcus waved him silent.